Grey in Gray
by Tyrogue
Summary: After Team Plasma's victory in the Unova region they were succesful in separating pokemon from humans. This story of two aspiring pokemon trainers separate paths to a new life away from Ghetsis's oppression. Set somewhat in the future. Rated T for possible violence, just to be on the safe side. Reviews and criticism appreciated.
1. Hues of Silver

**Disclaimer, I do not own any rights to Pokémon what so ever and this is purely a fan made story. I do not own any characters from Pokemon except any of my OC's.**

**Grey in Gray**

**CHAPTER 1**

The alarm on my phone went off with a start when the clock hit 5p.m. My shift was done and I'm already out of the door. I want nothing more than to leave this city, leave this job, leave this life and start a new one on the road, or somewhere else, somewhere colourful and fun, somewhere completely different from here…

When I reach the street outside of the ice-cream parlour I work at, serving scoops and cones and sprinkles and all the rest, I'm greeted with a familiar and dreary sight.

The pavement sidewalks coloured a permanent shady blue, the dim sun blocked by tall grey buildings surrounding the narrow streets on all sides. Cramped roads fill the air with the noise of car horns, shouting, running engines. There are no trees, no plots of grass, no parks or fountains (except the stainless steel drinking ones that jut out from the walls every intersection) no colours except the dull metallic blur that makes up the street once the light turns a false electric green.

Speaking of which it's time for me to cross. Noticing something a bit down the sidewalk on the other side that makes the day start to seem a little less boring, I break into a light jog and don't notice the car turning left and I'm snapped out of my excitement by the sound of screeched tires.

"Watch where you're goin' punk!" I hear from a rolled down window.

I turn and with a smile flip him off, I've never been much for the rushed, rude citizens of New Pewter either.

My jog increases in speed a bit when I see my opportunity start to cross another street. Dodging hurried business men and the odd garbage can skillfully I just manage to catch up to Amber.

"Hey Amber wait up a sec let me walk with you!"

Amber is I guess what one could call a childhood friend. We have known each other all our lives pretty much, but we never really were close. We chat the odd time, sometimes run into each other at popular hang outs, more recently I see her in school, but we rarely talk.

"Oh? Hey Grey, just get off work?" She responded kindly but not too excited by my presence.

My names Grey, suiting for where I live I suppose. I live in New Pewter City in the Heiwa Region, the most boring city in it. I'm 17 years old, and I was born and raised here. If you want to know what I look like, I've got a lean, but muscular build, a deep reddish brown hair that is about mid-neck length, styled to be a bit messy. I have a pale white skin and bright green eyes, a small mouth and a strong jawline and high cheek bones.

You would think I would be more used to how things are around here by now but I think that is exactly the problem. I _am_ used to it, _too_ used to it, I need some excitement, I want to go on an adventure, I don't necessarily have a specific dream or a goal, but I think I'd like to try going on a Pokémon adventure.

"Yeah I did, I'm glad I caught up I wanted to ask you somethin'"

"Alright what is it?" She replied, once again, politely but not seeming the slightest bit intrigued.

"I was thinking maybe that we could hang out sometime" I said, trying to hint at something without actually having to say it.

"What like at school and stuff? We already do that." Obviously ignoring my hint.

"No I meant more along the lines of just you and me, ya know, kind of like a d-

Me and Amber have never really been close, I've said that before but I didn't mention that I've also kind of been into her for a bit and more recently I've started to notice how very attractive she is. Her long light brown hair, with faint golden highlights was worn loosely down her back this evening. Her skinny black jeans showing off her petite, skinny but still fit, frame. Her pale yellow and white striped, spaghetti strapped tank top also revealed her thinness and also her recently more noticeable chest that had only lately come to my attention, but still inconspicuous if not in revealing garb. Her face was angular with cheeks round and cute and dimpled on just the left side when she smiled. Wide brown eyes and a button nose topped it off. Her soft light skin done no justice in this gray lighting.

-ate?" There, I said it, I figured today was as good a day as any; I guess my confidence was at a high point.

"….. No way Grey!" She said, almost as if I was joking.

I swear my heart stopped in the time it took me to formulate a simple response. Rejection, I am apparently not good with it.

"Uhmm…. Why not?" I finally managed to choke out. Part of me was saying just take the no and move on; the other part was saying never back down, I knew her response would decide the winner.

"I just never saw us like that I guess, the way we've been all this time, we are kind of like cousins, not so close as family, but we have still known each other for like ever."

Okay, time to take the loss and try again another time.

"Tonight" I said confidently

_What!?_ I thought to myself. _What am I doing?!_

"Who knows, maybe you will have a good time?" I said shakily.

"I can't anyway Grey, I've got things to do, I'm super busy with school stuff" she said, in almost a panicked voice.

Okay she is really trying to get out of this, but if I just get one shot, I think I can change her mind about me, time to go for the trump card.

"If you go on a date with me, I'll let you see my Pokémon" I said, trying to tempt her.

That's a big deal, not even pidove or vulpix live in the city. New Pewter is a special case. It's referred to as a Humanized Settlement. A long while ago there was a group formerly known as Team Plasma. At first they were seen as thugs, much like Team Rocket, stealing peoples Pokemon for their own nefarious needs, attempting to catch a legend, the whole works. They started in Unova but after they succeeded they spread to the other regions with a Pokemon league. Now their king N has outlawed any use of Pokemon what so ever. Everyone was forced to release their Pokemon and all pokeballs were collected and destroyed (until team rocket became somewhat of a black market for Pokemon goods). All of the gym's leagues were shut down and the Humanized Settlements were constructed. In the settlements no Pokemon are aloud, it is built elevated from the ground and surrounded by walls, everything is paved or metal to discourage Pokemon from coming in the few ways they are able. They said they wanted to liberate Pokemon, and I guess that's what they did, though I don't agree that they should have, it is more like they separated humans from them. Now it's like everyone pretends they don't exist.

"A Pokémon eh? That's an offer I can't refuse Grey, meet my by the pier at midnight, you show me your Pokémon then, I'll give you a date, deal?"

Score! "Deal!" I said proudly and we shook hands on it.

"Well I have to be on my way, you've already held me up enough as it is" She said with a smirk and walked off.

I stood and watched her bottom sway a bit, lost in my thoughts about it, and the rest of her, but more than anything thoughts of tonight. _It's a good thing she picked the pier_ I thought.

A sudden jolt from behind me knocked me down to my knees, and out of my daze. I turned as I got up to see another guy in a suit rush off somewhere, with no apology, and an upset look on his face.

J_erk_ I think to myself, and head home.-

-When I step in the house I'm greeted by darkness and silence. The clock reads 6:02 P.m.

_Perfect_ I think aloud to myself, _Moms not home yet._

I flip on a light and quickly make my way down to the basement. It's messy, and dank, full of cobwebs. Brown cardboard boxes stack high in every direction. The small pull chain light bulb hanging from the ceiling dimly lights the rooms, and makes the space seem much more confined as it doesn't quite reach the walls. For someone who doesn't know where they are going down here it's a veritable maze full of possible collapses and traps in the form of things to trip on or places to stub your toe. I don't like spending much time down here, too cramped, I'm not really one for small spaces. Lucky for me I know exactly what I'm looking for.

I take a few turns around box towers and hop over a bin, carefully avoiding a few boxes with the word **FRAGILE** printed on them in bold red. I make my way to underneath the stairs. It's like mini basement underneath the stairs. More darkness, no room, boxes, cobwebs. But my destination is close at hand. I lift some heavy boxes out of my way to reveal a large glass container. A fish tank, cleverly concealed by the boxes I slide in front of it. I move it out of the way and put all the boxes back, then carry the tank up stairs.

I make my way into my bedroom and flip on a light, swipe some papers of my desk onto the perfectly clean floor and put the tank on it. Before I do anything else I grab the papers and stack them neatly and shove them in a drawer. I've always made it a habit, or rather a compulsion, to keep my room tidy. Probably as a result from my minor claustrophobia, making sure all furniture is against walls, and everything is off the ground helps open up the space a bit.

I carry the tank into the bathroom and turn on the bathtub faucet to fill it up. After it's all the way to the top I slowly, carefully carry the heavy tank back to my desk, sloshing a bit of water on the floor on the way.

Next I grab my desk chair, close my door and place it right up against it, so I can stand on top of it. I remove one of the panels that make up my drop ceiling roof and reach around in the space until I feel the small metallic ball and grasp it. Hopping down I put the chair back where it was and walk over to the tank.

Pressing the button in the middle of the ball, the pokeball expands in my palm, beeping quietly as it does.

"OK buddy, come on out" I say as I angle the front towards the tank.

A bright red light illuminates the room, only slightly transparent it looks like a splash of infrared laser. The ball makes a "POP!" as it opens in my hand and a sound that resembles air entering a vacuum (not the house cleaning vacuum, the airless vacuum, like space) as the red light floods the water in the tank. The water splashes out a bit onto the desk and floor and I cringe a bit as I see a new thing to clean.

"Hey there little guy" I said as a little blue body no more than a foot long fell into the tank. Rough blue scales followed all the way down from the three symmetrical spines on the sides of its head to the tightly curled tail it was using to balance itself as it bobbed up and down along the bottom of the tank, giving way only to the smooth, large, cream coloured scales of its underbelly. A jet of soft darkness shot out of its elongated tube like mouth and blanketed the water in a thin down of ink, the bright red eyes still clearly smiling back at me through the pane of glass. Bubbles rose from its mouth as Horsea tried to chirp happily to me.

I often felt bad for having to either keep Horsea cramped up in its pokeball or in the confines of the aquarium, but it seemed happy to be with a trainer, and out of the dirty docks. There was no beautiful coral there that Horsea enjoyed in the days before rule of N. Just swaths of hover ship merchants arguing about tariffs and entry taxes, the cool floating boats from some of the old places (oh how I have dreamed of stowing away to become a sailor on one of them and visit all the cities and routes and towns and ports and forests, everything away and untouched by the 'revolution' as the propaganda posters call it, of Lord N's Humanization) leaking fuel. Not to mention the fact that the Plasma submarines would likely find it during one of their patrols or excursions to go corrupt, sorry, convert, another still free place into a Pokemon-less 'paradise' leaving the economy and land under complete control of Ghetsis and his Plasma army. And if that had happened they wouldn't just throw it outside the walls, they would kill it, and go searching for the rest of its kind, assuming there must be more life where it came from. I often promise Horsea to one day take it somewhere it can swim free, without fear of humans, where it can be with others like it. That day hasn't shown itself to be anywhere near, though Horsea seems content to just be out of that filthy port.

"Tonight we go on a date Horsea" I say to it with an awkward grin, contorted in my attempts to hold it back. Horsea just looked at me and tilted its head. I don't know how much Pokemon understand human language, but I know that they can definitely understand emotions and actions, so I'm sure it could see my excitement. "Well not really a date so much as it is a secret meeting. I want to show you to someone". Now it was obvious to me that Horsea was excited, I guess it understood that this meant it wouldn't be in the tank to the pokeball. "But I am going to have to ask you to do something I wish I didn't have to; you will have to go back to the port. I promise it's not forever, just for a few minutes so my friend can have a look at you then we will come right back here." The comfortable murkiness of the water changed to a furious black as Horsea spat out more ink in a clearly unhappy response.

"I am sorry, but it really is only for a few minutes, and when we get back I'll wash off your scales of all that dirty city water and ill even let you sleep in the aquarium instead of your pokeball tonight, deal?" Horsea slowly and cautiously floated to the top of the tank so I could see it past the water. I took one look into its big bright eyes and its expression was simple. It had agreed to come with me, but only on my conditions. "Thank you so much Horsea, you'll see it won't be so bad, and I'm sure you will like her." Horsea's trust and sacrifice meant a lot to me that night. I actually felt like I could be Horsea's trainer. It was an exciting thought, but it was drowned in the sobering fact that it couldn't be, there were no adventuring trainers anymore, not since the new era of N. But none the less I was going to see Amber tonight and that was still something to keep my spirits up.

In a tizzy I hurriedly dumped the dark water down the bathtub drain and washed it down. Then went and carefully put the aquarium back where I got it as I had done many times before, leaving it perfectly concealed. The pokeball shrunk down to its marble size, stark white contrasted by deep red, I rolled it around in my hand, it glinted in the dim yellow light of my bedroom lamp, and I got a feeling that one day it might be my ticket out of here.


	2. Not Always Black and White

I'm not by any means of the term a cowardice person. I would even venture so far to say that I am rather brave and virtuous, though humble seems to be a trait to work on. But I am fully ready to admit that the walk down to the pier to meet Amber was a little more than just stressful. I'd say it was a bit closer to spooky, at best. There is not exactly a curfew in New Pewter, but unless you have a place to be, most people stay in at night. The Plasma guards get easily suspicious about anyone loitering or just roaming around, especially nowadays with all the recent attacks on Plasma guards, Plasma facilities, even Plasma officials. Everyone suspects team rocket. Ever since Plasma's victory in Unova they have turned more from an organized crime organization to a terrorist cell, but if you ask the right person, they are more liberators than terrorists. But despite what some might say, anyone from Plasma will haul you off to the nearest detention center if there is any suspicion that you are involved. With the thoughts of someone from Plasma coming to scoop me up at any time and place me under arrest has me jumping at every sound. I take the path through the less densely populated areas; some people might call it the slums. I wouldn't normally do this, but I don't want to raise the chances of me getting stopped by someone while I have a Pokemon with me.

It is much quieter than normal tonight. Very scarcely does a low flying Sky Cargo ship pass over, sparking the dead streets to life with their jets straining to keep them off the ground. The streets set in a dirty yellow by the old, un-renovated lamp lights, occasionally flickering out to restore battery life, pitching the surrounding area into complete darkness. I almost like it better that way though. With the lights on, the alley ways fade away shallowly into darkness, letting the imagination conjure up what might be lurking within. Reflections of me and surrounding shapes haunt about the curtain-less windows playing tricks on the mind of residents eerily viewing my questionable walk down the winding small roads. Stopping to read street signs is the worst part, not only does it make me feel as though whatever might be following me now has a chance to catch up, it exercises the feeling of not knowing where I am. Throws me even farther out of my element.

I pass by a few streets that have Plasma guards. They acknowledge me more than I am comfortable with, though none of them leave whatever they are doing to follow. I am all too aware of my own nervousness, which in turn makes me seem even more suspicious. Constantly looking around, fidgety, jumping at every closing of a door, every drop of water from a pipe into the drainage ditch. The stress begins to get to me, sweat starts for form on my brow, and I begin to regret ever telling anyone about Horsea. Perhaps I should just turn back? No, I can't do that, too much at stake, this will be my one and only chance to get Amber to meet me alone, my final chance to get that one special date. I feel foolish for risking so much for it, but I'm already about half way, I might as well not turn back now.

I look to my watch for an excuse to break into a run, it would draw even more attention to me, but the faster this walk is over the better. 11:40. And I'm only halfway, perhaps the excuse has turned into an actual necessity. I start to jog lightly, it speeds up my progress a bit, but I feel like the now louder stamping of my feet is only worsening my situation, so I run faster. Cutting corners, dodging the occasional car, jumping over fences that may block my way to create my own short cuts, before I know it I'm nearly at a full sprint doing practically parkour (poorly of course).

I start getting short of breath about a minute and a half into it, but I feel I have to stop just in time, the port is in sight. I have said before that all the settlements are raised above ground, to prevent most Pokemon from getting in. However almost all of them back onto water, this provides easy transportation and trade between the settlements. However to my dismay, this means that when I reach the port, I'm standing about a football field away vertically away from it. This isn't to my concern because it means more walking, but because it will get even creepier. The walk down is treacherous, steel grate stairs wind forwards half the way down and them backwards the other half, they are steep, to one side of me boats silently live there night time lives communicating with sloshes of the tides and bumps against the docks. The other half however, is much less scenic, if it were just a wall that would be fine, but for crate storage, and doors with symbols above them that I don't and wasn't meant to understand, it extends about 100 meters back underneath the city. In the night time with no lights on, it is especially vast, and especially daunting.

When I reach the bottom of the steps, I see that Amber has not arrived yet. I hadn't really come up with a plan for what I would do while I waited for her. I don't want to let Horsea out yet; I would rather keep it out of that water for as long as possible, so I just stand next to the boats and read their names. One large crate carrying ship always stood out to me, probably because it was the largest boat in the docks most of the time. Towering above all the rest, its black hull reads in large orange print _THE SHINY KINGLER._ I never really got the name, but I still liked it, it was one of the old floating boats, as opposed to the ones that Plasma used, jets pointed downwards, rocketing along just a few feet above the water.

Just when I thought maybe she wasn't coming I hear the familiar clanging of the steps and see the figure of a girl coming quickly down. "Hey Amber, I almost thought you were going to stand me up" I half joke as she reaches the dock I'm standing on.

"Of course I wouldn't, why would I pass up a chance to see a Pokemon, you did bring it didn't you?"

"Yeah, I have it right here." I pull the small sphere out of my pocket and show it to her with an open hand. I should be a little upset that she is only agreeing to meet with me because I have a Pokemon, but I'll take what I can get for now.

"Awesome, so, let's see it then" she sounds very excited; I guess I shouldn't make her wait any more. I press the small button on the front and it fills my hand, I point it towards the water; "go Horsea!" I say proudly, and the ball snaps open and forms the little dragon Pokemon in the water.

"Wow a Horsea!" She exclaims. Those were her only words; her face was bright with happiness, ecstatic to just watch Horsea frolic in the dank water. "I never knew you liked Pokemon so much" I say, trying to start some kind of conversation.

"Are you kidding? I _love_ Pokemon, like, all Pokemon. It's always been my dream to go on a Pokemon adventure, like they used to, before Team Plasma. But I guess that's just the way things are now, I'm just happy that I get to see this little guy." All she could do was watch Horsea, and all I could do was watch her. It was very flattering on her to have such a soft spot for something. Before she seemed so inaccessible, in her own world, I never expected her to have such a passion for something so removed from daily life.

"So, can I still get that date you promised?" I didn't exactly want her to take her away from playing with Horsea, but it was why I was here after all, I should go for it.

"A deal is a deal Grey" she responded with a genuine happiness in her voice. I'm not sure if she was so joyful in return because of Horsea or because of me, but something told me that she wanted to go on the date too.

"Sorry kids but that date is going to have to wait a while." A raspy voice calls to me from behind. I see Ambers face lose all her joy. I gulp deeply and turn and see a large man standing there, wearing black tight pants with silver combat boots over them. He has a black vest covering a shirt with black and white camo sleeves and a white sash over that with a coat of arms on the front. An electric blue P is on it. Plasma guard! I am stopped dead in my tracks for a moment, I don't know what to do, this was always my fear of how tonight could end, but then I never really thought about what I would do. My thoughts move next to Horsea and Amber. "Horsea return!" In a flash he is back in a small ball in my pocket. "Amber run, now!" I grab her by the arm and begin to pull her in the opposite direction of the Plasma guard, she runs along behind me, but I don't dare to let her go, she would probably freeze up again.

As I'm moving my way down the dock I hear the Plasma guard behind us running too, but not trying to catch up, and up ahead is my answer to why; a Plasma submarine is docking right in front of us, releasing a few more Plasma members as it surfaces_. Crap we are cornered, _I think to myself. I immediately change course and begin to run towards the underneath of the city. I can't make it back to the steps, besides I wouldn't be able to scale them fast enough. But as I begin to move through the maze of crates in the dark I realize that I'm going to meet a wall eventually, I can't keep this chase up forever. I hear them gaining on me. Should I fight? No, there are too many of them, and I can't protect Amber and myself from multiple sides. Should I hide? They are too close; they would see wherever I go. Their footsteps get closer, one of them is practically on my back, about to grab me, and drag me off to some nearby prison, confiscate and probably kill Horsea, Amber wasn't even in on it but they don't take excuses. I guess this is how it ends for me; the ball rolling around in my pocket that I thought would bring me freedom will doom me for sure.

Several loud bangs echo through the hollow and whizz close by me, something hits the ground between me and the Plasmas throwing up dirt. I turn around and see several pock marks in the ground, the Plasmas have also stopped running. Gun shots? No, a pin missile attack. Trying to hit me or them? And where was the banging coming from?

"Hey kid, over here!" I see a shady figure to the left, waving me over with a white gloved hand, holding open a thick steel door. He doesn't seem exactly trust worthy. _**BANG BANG BANG. **_More missiles sound. "Come to me if you want to get away, I'm not keeping this door open forever." I guess I have no choice but to go to him. I turn left and sprint again keeping Amber in tow. The Plasma behind me goes to reach for me again but more pops blare out from a mystery gunman nearby and stop him again, this time the arrow headed white streams land on target, he slumps down holding his right shoulder. I only turn to see for a second, then continue my pace towards the door.

I get safely inside, and he swings the large door shut behind us. He pushes a lever that forces two bars across the doorway to jam it firmly shut, nothing short of high explosives is getting through that. On the other side we begin to walk silently with the man through long corridors. Small lights are strung throughout the damp hallways, like the lights from an old timey mine. I look over to the man, who is sort of leading the way, but more next to me than anything. He wears all black, including a black barét shading his facial features. The middle of his shirt has a big red R. _Team Rocket _I think to myself. Out of the pan and into the fire I think. But I suppose he did save us, so their intentions can't be that nefarious, I hope.

After what seems like a lengthy walk in silence we come to another identical door to the one at the first entrance, but this one has a large red R on it to match the rocket gang's shirt. Not very hidden, but I guess they don't need to be when Plasma already knows they are here. Our dark escort knocks hard three times, to be honest I was expecting some kind of secret knock. But instead a view port on the door snaps open and too green eyes peer through. I suppose they approve of what they see because the door soon squeaks open to reveal a room somewhat reminiscent of an old dingy bar hidden under ground, archaically lit by torches on the walls. A woman dressed in rocket gear opens the door and ushers everyone in, she has shockingly long bright pink hair, I guess everyone in rocket is a little weird. I get that vibe as I look around; a man with lavender hair is sitting at a table playing a game of cards with a Meowth. At the back a man around 20 years of age sits at the bar. As we walk in he takes one look at me and Amber and gives a disapproving grimace that almost says we aren't good enough to be here. He gets up from his seat and walks away to another room, a Pikachu follows along behind him, it looks as though it's been through a lot, it has several scars on its back and there is a permanent chip taken out of its left ear. Peculiarly it carries what looks like a well-worn and torn official Pokemon league expo hat, barely red and white any more with age and use, but the green part-triangle swoosh on the front has been kept in good condition. The last time I saw one of those was in a _history of Pokemon book_. He was the only person in this room not wearing rocket gear.

"Commander Jessie will take care of you in just a moment". The man who walked us in finally spoke, and he went to take a seat with the other assortment of rough-and-tumble group of vagabond looking people around the room. I turn to Amber, she looks a bit shaken up, but un-injured. She notices my looking and speaks "we need to get out of here Grey, it's not safe".

"Relax, they have helped us so far, I think they're alright, besides, we can't exactly go back the way we came, there will be Plasma everywhere looking for us." I was worried as she was, but this seemed to be the best option right now. The girl with the pink hair approached us.

"Welcome to Team Rocket, terrorist edition." She didn't seem like the type that wanted to be talked back to, so I waited for her to continue. "Or at least that is what Plasma would have you believe. We are liberators, attempting to bring Pokemon and humans back together, in the only way we know how, by fighting with our Pokemon against Plasma. We brought you here because those Plasma guards were chasing you, because you have Pokemon. I'm going to cut right to the chase, we want you to take up the fight with us. We are hurting for members, and seeing as how you clearly love Pokemon more than Plasma, we think you will fit right in here." I didn't really know what to say to that. I didn't wake up this morning expecting to go to war with Plasma by the end of it. But something in me told me this was what I should do, I wanted to be with Pokemon for a while now, and I have hated this place, especially Plasma for keeping me from them, I decided not to voice any of my doubts and simply responded "I'm in."

"You're a brave kid, we need more like you, how about you girly? You want to fight for your right to be a Pokemon trainer?" Amber was more ready to respond then I expected of her. And although I never expected her to fight, my resolve to do so had me shocked at her answer.

"To be honest, no, I don't want to fight. If I had my choice, I would be with Pokemon, I would even be a Pokemon trainer, but I'm not ready to fight against Plasma." Jessie spat on the ground in disgust. "You are just another coward, I knew bringing kids here was stupid." Amber was about to retort and I winced, not wanting to see these two get into a fight, when I saw the damaged Pikachu from before walk around her leg and the man it followed placed his hand on Jessie's shoulder.

"No, she isn't. The choice this man made was not an easy one" He pointed to me. "And her love for Pokemon is real, so choosing not to fight is an even harder one to come to." This time he looked earnestly at Amber. His eyes held real experience, and his words seemed wise, and correct. "The fight here in the settlements is not the only noble path towards reviving the Pokemon-human relationship. Team Rocket, myself (Weird I thought, that he would not count himself as separate from them) and several other devoted trainers have worked hard to keep the tradition of the Pokemon league alive. The fight here will help to bring down Plasma, but to fully restore it to the way things were before we need to keep the spirits of Pokemon trainers going. That's why since Plasma's take over we have organized a secret Pokemon League very reminiscent of the one before. There are 8 badges to collect and gyms to visit here in Heiwa, a Pokemon League tournament every year for those who qualify with all 8 badges, and an Elite four, who are the main organizers of it all. And of course, what is a league without a champion." I was shocked to learn that all of that still existed. I had assumed it completely abolished. I almost regretted making the choice to stay now, learning of the second very appealing option, but I made my choice, and I felt that for me and that for Pokemon it was the right one.

"So I can go on my dream adventure, with Pokemon at my side and everything?" Amber was even more excited than when I had shown her Horsea.

"Of course you can. It is for trainers like you that trainers like us fight. I will call ahead and make the necessary arrangements, you will be escorted to a path less traveled by so to speak, outside of the settlement. From there you will be given the tools needed to get you started, and I want you to go and see a friend of mine, his name is Professor Oak. He will give you the rest you need. But to get there, you will need a Pokemon, we have some that you can take, if you will follow me and take a look".

"No that won't be necessary" I interrupt. "I promised Horsea that one day I would take it places that it can swim free, that it can be happy and away from here, I won't make it fight, that is my choice not Horsea's. Amber, please take Horsea with you."

"Grey... Thank you. I won't forget this, and I promise you, that when I come back, and things can go back to normal, that you will get that date" She leaned over and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I was a well of emotion, joyous in her affection toward me, bringing up tears as I handed the pokeball containing my friend over to her. But I refused to cry in front of the Rockets, if I was going to fight, I will be tough.

"When you come back, I will have driven Plasma back, and you will be able to be a Pokemon trainer in peace, that is my promise to you."

"That was very noble of you Grey. I'm glad to have you by my side, just prove me right about you, and we will get along fine. Tomorrow both of you start on you different paths. I have confidence that your decisions are for the best." Those were his last words to us that night, Pikachu hopped along beside him as he left me and Amber standing alone. No words needed to be said. No words would be appropriate for the moment, not a goodbye, or a good luck or an 'I love you'. We simply began our separate paths right there on out separate paths to our sleepless bunks where we anticipated things to come.


	3. Colouring Outside the Lines

_The edge of the settlement _I think to myself, _how weird it is to actually be walking outside the walls of New Pewter_. I stood for a while, just looking out onto the path that I was about to start my journey on. As I turned I felt the lone pokeball in my jean short shorts press against my upper thigh in my pocket. I began thinking about the little sea horse in there. It hadn't been informed that its trainer had been changed, or that it now faced a new life, a new challenge, a perilous adventure. As I thought all this to myself I realized I was placing all of my own fears in Horsea's hands. But they didn't seem like fears, no, I was not worried at all. This was my dream and I was finally achieving it. The air outside the settlement filled my lungs and I puffed out my chest under my skin tight long sleeve top that came down to just above my belly button, stretching out its horizontal blue and black stripes. I knew that if it got colder I would need to put on something that covered me more, I had the necessary gear in my pack, but today the sun scorched the dusty plains of New Pewter's one connecting footpath.

"Hey Amber, come on, we can't stand out here in broad day light very long, someone might see us" the soft voice snapped me out of my daydreaming. My own thoughts melted away and I saw James standing there, he was to be my escort to the edge of the Settlement, and we were here. What stood before me in life was quite a contrast to the adventure I had been imagining for a few moments, a tall angular man with lavender hair blowing lightly in the breeze, and behind him, the 300 foot gray blank slate, blocking out anything the outside world has to offer. "Well do you want to get started or what?" James speaks to me again, sounding more impatient.

"Yes, please" I say, trying to make up for my ignoring the first time by responding very quickly the second. "Okay so it's been explained to you before but I have been asked to go over it again, there are 8 gyms, beat 8 gyms and you can go to the League tournament, win there and you can challenge the Elite Four. Beat any of them and you can join the Elite Four, beat all of them and you can Challenge the Champion, got it?" I nodded. I didn't see me getting that far, but just the opportunity to take on this quest was worth losing a thousand times to me. "Okay, so I can't give you any more Pokemon, but I do have some gear to give you. First off, as a good luck gift, one pokeball and three potions." _Only one?_ I thought. As if he could read my mind "We can't spare many, they are rare and expensive, professor Oak will be able to help you more." And finally the most important equipment of all, your Dex, badge case, identification as a non-Plasma supporter, and region map, all in one. He handed me a small black square with one smooth half sphere protruding from it, turquoise in colour. "Not to doubt you, James, but this doesn't seem to be anything." It didn't, it was perfectly square, about half an inch thick, with no extra detail at all excluding the ball on the front, and it was about the size of my palm. To prove me wrong he made a scooping motion in front of the half sphere and a light behind it turned on and projected a hologram floating about half a foot off the front of it. The hologram read IDENTIFICATION and there was a projected square below it. "Now what?" I asked. "Place your whole hand half way in the square there and hold it still." I did as he instructed, and flattened my hand out, bottom half under the hologram, top half above. After about a second and a half the IDENTIFICATION fell away the square grew to the size of the entire hologram this time containing a few more words. TRAINER ID- 4386186, below that, words held in squares of their own read Dex, Badges, Map, in a list format. I tapped the square that said map and the hologram changed to show a little undetailed blue me standing amongst the surroundings, the hologram matching perfectly what its scanners could detect around me. Another list appeared reading Current (it was darkened, I guess indicating that it was active) Local, and Region. I instinctively flattened my palm and pushed downwards toward the projection and it fell out of sight, back into the little black square, cool in my palm.

"This will serve to prove to gym leaders that you are indeed not Plasma, it's coded to be hard to hack, but do not let this fall into the wrong hands, it has the location of all the secret League buildings, if Plasma got this, it would all be over. Do you understand?" I nod again. "Good, just follow this path" he points to the one I was looking at earlier "and at the first fork, turn left, on top of a hill will be Prof. Oaks lab."

He didn't say anything else to me, just turned and stealthily re-entered the settlement to go and fight alongside Grey and the others. As I started to walk down the path I didn't question once if I should be back there instead, I knew on the road like this was the right way for me to be. And I made up my mind immediately that as soon as I find a body of water I will let Horsea out to tell it what is going on. But that didn't seem like it was going to happen soon. The sun beat harshly down, unrelenting in its heat. There were no trees around for shade, just a dirt path surrounded by flat land, tall grass covering almost all of it. As I walked the dirt and small rocks crunched under my _PurRloin_ brand sneakers. I turned around the black square in my hands, examining all its blank features, trying to get a firm grasp on its importance. On the back was an airbrush painting of a rose signed J.

I was surprised to see that this close to the settlement (of course close in that it was still in view, but I had been walking this straight path for about 25 minutes now) there was quite a few Pokemon. I spotted a few Rattata scurrying around in the tall grass, and some Karrablast locked their shining blue horns in a brilliant display of rivalry. Two little Pichu run across the path about 10 feet ahead, and I look up to see that the owner of the call I had just heard came from the bland female Unfezant casting the only shadow as far as the eye could see. I wish I could battle one of them, and make my first catch, I was in a hurry to start my team, but I wouldn't be able to make a catch without battling first, and there was nowhere for Horsea to battle. No worries though, with Pokemon everywhere like this there would be plenty down the road too, and if my predictions were correct, there would definitely be a pond or something by the lab.

Although I left early in hopes of reaching the lab before lunch, the amazement of the Pokemon has slowed me down considerably. It is 11 o'clock and my stomach is starting to use growl attack over and over, thoroughly decreasing my attack on the distance between me and the lab. So seeing a spectacle I wished to watch, I pull a blanket out of my pack and lay it down on the road, and grab one of the sandwiches I packed for the journey and a plastic bottle of red juice. In the clearing I sat down here to watch, on the dirt covered ground where the grass flattened out, only springing up in patches, two Cyndaquil engage each other in a lighthearted sparring match, tackling lightly and spewing jets of fire just missing the target every time on purpose, just play fighting. I decide to take out my Dex. The black square lights up a 3d floating encyclopaedia of Pokemon, and the scanners find the Cyndaquil and start talking to me about them. I already have extensive book knowledge of many Pokemon, I avidly read through text books back in the Settlement to attempt to sate my appetite for Pokemon, so the small amount of Dex information it gives me to start comes as no surprise to me. "Cyndaquil. The Fire Mouse Pokemon. Almost always timid, this Pokémon's back flares up when startled or excited." I mouthed the words along with the small robotic voice. I watched them play until I had finished my sandwich, and, noticing that the fork in the road was in sight, decided not to watch until the end.

I took the left as instructed when the road formed a perfect T and straight only led to more fields. As I walked with a now rejuvenated pace down the path the land began to become a little less wasteland-ish. The flat land on all sides gradually began to develop into low rolling hills, until eventually at times it seemed as if I was in a valley, slops hiding the view on either side after about five feet off the path. The long grass and dusty dryness became short grass, green and lush, and the shade from the hills made the walk much more pleasant. If it hadn't been for the show I would regret stopping earlier as opposed to here. But I shouldn't stop now, because off in the distance, on a hill overlooking a cliff, stood an abandoned looking mansion like place, abandoned looking except the freshly painted white picket fence that surrounded the lawn. In my excitement my speed increased again, and sweat started to come on as I walked tirelessly uphill to what I assumed to be the lab.

When I reached the front of the gate my assumption was proven to be right. Two Camerupt lazily munch away on the grass in the middle of the large ranch, and a Lilligant spreads its petals and dances joyfully in the sun. I walk straight up the middle, not wanting to spend any more time admiring the Pokemon, as I'm excited to meet the professor. I swing open the screen, and knock on the wooden door, white paint chips falling away from the old wood as I do so. The door is answered quickly by a man around the same age as the guy with the Pikachu from the rocket hide out. He has closely cut light brown hair, and matching it short scruff coming in on his cheeks and chin. He wasn't wearing a top, revealing his athletic body, cut and carved in very attractive ways. His broad chest and prominent collar bone glinting with light dabs of perspiration. I tried to talk, but it appeared I had developed a crush.

"Hi I'm professor Oak" he said with a wide mouthed smile, "excuse my appearance, I'll go put something else on." He walked away, leaving the door open. I took it to mean I was to come in, so I walked in and kicked off my sneakers by the front door. I moved through the house, admiring its classic and rustic look. Hardwood floors of the hallway led me to an open room with bay windows overlooking the see, letting in lots of light. There was very little furniture, just one couch and one chair, and no T.V. To the right was the kitchen. To the left was an open door that led downstairs.

It only took a few minutes for him to come back down stairs. "You can call me Gary" he said, continuing as if he never stopped talking. He went to the kitchen right past me, talking as he went "So you want to be a Pokemon trainer eh? You think you've got what it takes?" I winced a bit as he expressed his doubts. "I have seen many Pokemon trainers set out on their journeys after the take over from Plasma. Not many make it past the first few gyms, it's not easy out there on your one you know" he said returning with two glasses of lemonade. I took the glass he handed to me and drank about half of it before I responded. "I don't expect it to be, I don't care if it isn't, I'm doing it so I can be with Pokemon, that's all. And speaking of which, is there somewhere I can let my Horsea swim around? It hasn't been out of its pokeball in quite a while." In the time I was talking he gulped down the last of his drink.

"Ya know what. I think you might actually make it out there. The left of the house has a pond; you can let it out there." I thank him and walk to the pond he spoke of. A few streaks of black and white fly by as Zebstrika gallop about on the ranch. The pond is a deep green, with some lily pads and pond scum. It's not exactly a sparkling ocean, but it's better than nothing, and I'm sure it's better than the pier in New Pewter. "Go Horsea!" I throw the ball up, when it reaches the peak of its ascent the red light bolts out of the ball and Horsea lands in the water. I catch the ball and put it back in my pocket. "Hey there little guy, I bet you expected to see Grey" I say responding to what I take to be a confused face. Horsea swims in a tight circle three times then stops and looks at me again. "Grey decided to stay back in the city, but now I'm going on an adventure across the land, and he gave you to me so that you can be free as well. Is that okay with you?" Horsea chirped its name happily in response. I guess that's a yes. "You stay here and swim a while, I'm going to go inside and talk to the professor." I see Horsea dive underneath some reeds as I go back inside.

"I was told you could help get me started on my adventure Gary" I say when I walk in. I don't know where he is but I guess that he can hear me. "Then you heard right" he says as he walks upstairs holding a box with some pokeballs in it. "Take four for now, seeing as you already have 2. If at any time you need to resupply them, ask what ever gym leader you happen to be around, they will probably be able to point you in the right direction. Also, take this." He hands me what looks like a tan coloured belt with 6 notches on it. "It's a pokeball holder" he says and he puts it around my upper right arm. I shrink down all the pokeballs and slot them into the metal calipers. "That should be all you need. Your map can tell you but I'll let you know to help you along your way, the first gym is in Dalcoma city. There will be a few stops between there and here but that is your new destination. Now, I've got work to do, and so do you, so I think it would be best for you to be on your way." He was right. I had a lot ahead of me; it was time for me to get started on my journey. "Oh and by the way, Horsea is a fine partner, but I suggest trying to catch a Pokemon that can fight without a body of water. If you follow the path the opposite of the way you turned to get here, you will eventually come to a stream with a bridge to cross, hopefully Horsea can battle, because your first one together will need to be soon."

With that I left the lab, walked again by the Camerupt, still grazing, and back down the hill I had come. Walking down hill filled me with a sense of ability. I felt good, like I could take on the world, soon me and Horsea would have our first battle, and before you know it I would be challenging my first gym leader. I am excited, but my thoughts of my future are shadowed by my thoughts of what bleak life Grey must be living right now. I cannot express how much gratitude and respect I have for him for taking on what I saw as the harder of the two roads. I will make the chance he gave me worth it, I will return a master.


	4. A Bold New Shade

I sat up in my bunk and looked around the small room that held me and two other Rocket members. One of them was out right now, getting food I think he said, I only half listened. The other was asleep on the bunk below me. I am alone to my thoughts. Of course I _thought_ that that would be a good thing. I had hoped the peace and quiet and time to think to would be a comfort to my unrest. It was not. I got a panicked feel when I remembered that Amber had already left. She and Horsea were my only reasons for even getting into all of this and now they were both gone. I began to have regrets, I struggled to push them from my mind, I know there is no turning back now, having regrets will only slow down our progress and get me depressed, I need to learn to love what I do. And I didn't totally hate being a new member of Team Rocket. I never saw my mother much before I left, and we lived alone together. So my family life is easily replaceable, and for the most part everyone here is good to me. The pink haired one could use an attitude check however. One thing I didn't like was being the youngest; they had never recruited kids before. But I still made friends, me and Ivory Rivers were quick to be close; he was the man sleeping soundly below me. How I envied him, I tossed and turned attempting to get some rest but to no avail.

Thoughts of my new compatriots only kept the thoughts of lament about my new life away for so long. I began to think about the repercussions of my act of bravery once more. Regret was not an emotion I was unfamiliar with. Not that I had made a lot of bad choices in my life, I guess I haven't made many choices at all, I have always been a very indecisive and doubtful person, faltering on choices that most people would have the greatest of ease to make. I took to flipping a coin to decide most things that I was going back and forth on, which are most things. My mother gave me my first book about Pokemon for my tenth birthday, and it was an obscure subject to say the least. I had never heard of Pokemon before that day, and even by the end of the book I thought it was all fictional. Not many people did know of Pokemon unless you went to the back of the library. I had seen more books like it come and go in my life, but one day, last year, I decided (a rare thing for me to do) that I wanted a Pokemon. I wanted it more than anything else. It was such a sure decision for me that the next day I went down to the slums and went talking to all kinds of sketchy looking characters.

I remember it as one of the clearest days in my usually foggy memory. I walked though similar streets to the one I had walked to the pier on. Although in the evening it is much less scary than in the middle of the night. The first guy I spotted was wearing a long olive colored trench coat and an oversized fedora covering most of his face, smoking a cigarette. I walked up to the man with the chimney like smoke delicately dancing around the brim of his hat. He was standing just outside of an alleyway, leaning up against a dumpster. It was such an obvious and cliché site that thinking back I shouldn't have even tried him. I walked straight up in front of him with a confidence I had rarely known and spoke loudly and clearly "you dealin'?" He looked up from underneath his hat and assessed me quickly and quietly, I stood still, terrified by my own previous actions. "Not to kids like you" was his simple retort. "C'mon I'm lookin for a special kind of item" I continued to talk in as much slang as I could muster and I probably sounded pretty stupid attempting to "sound cool" or "badass". "Okay… come close kid." I was skeptical, but I assumed he has planned to assist me in my endeavor, so I did, and awaiting the opening of his coat to show off his goods, just like in the cartoons, I stood proud and tall. My height was quickly halved however as I doubled over receiving a quick sucker punch to the gut. My face became puffy and red as I attempted to make a sound, but all I could do was sputter and stay there bent, and then my height was halved again as he nudged me with his foot over onto my side. He spit out his cigarette and walked away "Go home kid" he called over his shoulder.

It was then that I should have given up. After about a minute I was able to peel myself off the pavement and I should have done as he said gone home. But I didn't, I didn't even think about it. I walked on in the same direction I was going and it was not long before I spotted another goon down the street, in a similar position but a rather different look. Clad in all black leather, his pants and coat, he leaned coolly up against a wall with his hands in his jacket pockets. He had green hair that was combed and gelled completely back, and he wore shades that covered his likely untrustworthy eyes. My previous bad experience was not going to slow me down; I walked straight up to him like I did the other man and asked the same question in the same way "You dealin'?"

He raised his eyebrows tilted his head forward and moved his sunglasses just far enough down to peak over them. "Run along little boy" was all he said and went back to the way he was standing. I guess I decided I was sick of being underestimated cause I decided to step up my assertiveness. "Look, I'm looking to buy something on the down low, and I am not leaving this spot until you help me out." I said it firmly and confidently and stared at his eyes that I could not see, I waited for a reaction, and it took a lot longer to get one then I thought it would have, all he did was stare back. I started to think he planned to just ignore me, but then he reached into his pocket and stared rummaging around. I am to this day not sure if he complied because he was impressed or because he was annoyed, but either way it didn't matter, he pulled out a little plastic bag and tossed it to me. I looked at the contents; there were four small, orange circular pills. "That costs 40 bucks." He held out his hand awaiting his payment. I couldn't believe it, I got someone to comply and they didn't even have what I wanted, I was probably pretty lucky just to get one person to listen to me, there is no way I am going to risk getting beat up again. I handed back the pills explained that I wasn't looking for drugs. He told me that he didn't know where people were dealing black market goods, so I should leave his sight before he pummels me for wasting his time. I did just that. I decided once and for all to give up, this was too dangerous, and it started to seem like it wasn't worth it.

The walk home that day gave me the lowest, most sober feeling of self-loathing. I had felt so great with that surge of confidence I had earlier today, and it got shoved back down my throat and violently stamped on until it was beaten far back into my gut, where it sat and deteriorated into a pit of misery. Giving up was the worst feeling in the world when you never started anything with such vigour in your life. I was nearing the end of the 'bad neighbourhood' when a sudden jolt from my right knocked me into an alley way. I hit the ground hard and yelped out in pain. A mugging perhaps? My unknown attacker lifted me by my green aviator coat and slammed me up against a dumpster. I looked up slowly, weary and anticipating another strike. The large man who was assaulting me didn't look like the others in the area. He wore a well fitted dull silver suit and a red tie around the collar of a pressed white shirt. His figure was impressive, over six feet tall, two of me in width, a mean grimace across his intimidating face. He had a buzz cut, and 5 o'clock shadow. I knew if he decided to attack me further there was no way I could beat him in a fight, and given my current position running was not an option.

"What are you looking for?" He said to me in a gruff deep voice. Apparently my nosing around had upset someone. I searched him for weapons, looked down to where his un-tucked suit coat was hanging open. I saw not a knife or a gun like I expected, but a small red and white sphere, held onto his belt alongside 3 others. "There… on your … b-belt" I managed to gasp out, his large hands pressing hard onto my chest and collar bone made it difficult to breath. "Yeah I have pokeballs. What of it, if you think I'm letting you go so you can go turn me in to Plasma you've got another thing coming, don't think I won't kill." His threat made me no more scared then I already was, I had no doubts before that he was dangerous. "No… I was.. Lo-oking to buy one…" I sputtered out the sentence that I hoped would save my life. He frowned slightly and furrowed his brows, and then released me from his grasp. I fell to my feet the entire foot he had me off the ground. Well I gasped at the air that had previously been withheld from me he asked to confirm (without asking if I was ok) "So you want to get your hands on a pokeball huh?" I looked up at him and finally stood straight up, his massive body still blocked the entire escape to the street, my fears had blinded me to the simple fact that this man came to me with what I had been looking for. "Yes, I am. I want to catch a Pokemon."

"Well I don't know where you are going to catch a Pokemon in here, but two of these are for sale, I'll give you a deal, 200 for one." I had been saving money for a little while now, if I had a job it would be a lot easier to fork over the cash. I handed him my stack of twenty dollar bills and he placed a shrunk down pokeball in the same hand. He didn't say another word after that, the man I would later come to know as Ivory Rivers just turned and left. I wasted no time, I ran home.

The next night I went down to the port. I had to wait until night time so that there would (hopefully) be no people. And my hopes were successful. The dock had been no less scary back then, but since acquiring my pokeball, I knew that if there was any place to find a Pokemon in this city it would be here, so I had to go. I had doubts that night however. I was nearly sure that no Pokemon would show up, the whole point of the Humanized Settlement is that there are no Pokemon, but every so often a swimming Pokemon slips by. I stood next to the water waiting for some sign of life for a good hour and a half. Nothing had appeared, but I was prepared, at least for tonight, to stay out until morning. I knew that my chances of a Pokemon just appearing were slim to none, but me splashing about wouldn't make them come any faster and I didn't have a fishing rod, so there on the end of a dock, next to _THE SHINY KINGLER_, I waited, for about three hours.

I should have just got a lotto ticket and moved really, because to have a Pokemon just appear to you in a Settlement carries about the same amount of luck. A few solitary bubbles appeared on the surface one at a time. The slick oily black water's filmy surface had been completely undisturbed for the past three hours, so I thought that this must be a sign of life. And I was right, I turned on a flashlight and pointed it towards the water, and just under the surface a little blue body was darting around. I knew to catch a Pokemon you had to weaken it, but I didn't have a Pokemon of my own, so I did the next best thing I could think of, I took my flashlight and jumped in.

I was under the surface for about 10 seconds before I saw it again, it was swimming past me on my left, I did my best to grab and hold onto one of its scales. It thrashed about and bumped into me a few times, but it was small and weak as it is, so it didn't do a lot of damage. I used all my strength to swim back to the dock and climb out. I got up to the surface of the water and threw the little Pokemon onto the dock where if flopped about a bit trying to get back in. I climbed up onto the dock with it and watched it struggle until it wore itself out, I felt bad for watching it suffer like this, but in the old days to weaken a Pokemon you would give it electric shocks or light it on fire, so this didn't seem so bad a way to do it. When it slowed down its hopping and bumping into the wood of the dock I bent down and tapped it with the pokeball. It popped open and engulfed the little scaly creature in red light. The Horsea faded away and the light returned to the ball, the Pokemon had stopped struggling outside the ball and it had little more strength inside, it shook once and was caught.

But that year ago seemed like a dreadfully long time away now as I sat in my bunk, reminiscing to myself that fateful day, and then jumping to my more recent memory of confronting Amber, those were the two times in my life that stood out to me as times I had truly made a decision confidently and with out hesitation. And it was because of Horsea and Amber that, despite my hesitation, I joined Team Rocket, and now they both have left and dragged all my confidence with them.

I was pulled out of my misery by the mean demeanor of the pink haired lady Jessie. "The big man up top says we need to give you a Pokemon." My memories were wiped clean in a flash flood of excitement; I am going to get another Pokemon, a new companion, I won't be alone! My smile was impossible to contain as Jessie opened a small bag with three pokeballs in it. "We have three to spare, they were all rescued from Plasma, and so they don't have any trainers yet. For one of them this will change today. I suggest you choose wisely, it will be a rare occurrence for you to be able to get a new Pokemon here, so it will be your partner for most of your battles." Another decision, but this time I will not falter, this is one that I was more than happy to make.

She released the Pokemon one by one as she took out the pokeballs to show me their lively contents.

The first was a green lizard that stood bipedal about 3 feet tall. It had a tightly curled tail and a ruby zigzag pattern across its stomach. Two spiky ridges on its head were yellow in colour, the colour trailing down to form circle patterns around the eyes and the lips were yellow as well. I recognized it as a Kecleon, it had the ability to become invisible, that would be very useful for me in the fight against Plasma, and he seemed like a relatively easy Pokemon to train, but the blank stare on his face made it seem like he wasn't even there, I needed a partner that could also be a friend to me. I waited for the next Pokemon to be released.

The next flash of light revealed an Azurill, the small polka dot Pokemon sat looking rather sad on its tail for whatever reason. I wouldn't mind training the little aqua mouse, it too looked like it needed a friend, but I didn't want another water type, if it was most at home in the seas and rivers, then I wasn't going to be the one to force it to stay out of it.

The last Pokemon had to be it, unless it was even worse, in which case my choice would be Kecleon. But I would rather not go back on any of my choices. The final flash brought out a more scales, this time blue. It had sharp claws on its hands and feet and a yellowish underbelly. Large gray rough and beaten ridges crested its head and went down to the mid of its back. Yellow eyes burned fierce with determination and I felt like if it had wings it would fly now to go defeat Plasma itself. This was the type of Pokemon I was looking for. Not necessarily strong in body, but strong in heart. This was the Pokemon I would choose. "I want this one" I said not removing my eyes that were now locked with its. Jessie withdrew the other Pokemon and threw me this one's pokeball. "You two have fifteen minutes to get to know each other, briefing for the next mission starts after that. Be on time." After she left I used my Dex to identify my new partner as a Bagon. A dragon type, the rock head Pokemon, it would be a powerful ally. I reached my hand out to touch it, it didn't recoil, it seemed it was wise enough to recognize a kind gesture; it leaned forward and touched its hard head to my hand. It was cold and rough, and sent chills down my spine. I knew then that I had successfully made a new friend. And I felt confident for the first time since two days ago, that this Pokemon would serve me well in the battle to come.


	5. Contrasting Chromatics

I did as Gary instructed and headed back the way I came. The weather had changed since I had been inside his house, it was still warm, and the humidity hung heavy in my lungs, but now clouds drifted slowly across the sun, shading the once sunny path. The slight darkness felt nice on my skin though, as the sun had beat furiously down on it, now the warmth was more comforting then assaulting. But with the humidity and the clouds not being a friendly colour it was surely a bad omen. Given the pleasant fact that I was now moving steadily downhill I decided to move faster by skipping and whistling a jolly tune. The long browned grass swayed gently in the soft breeze that blew in the clouds. I knew that the new wind was a sign of a storm coming but I decided to admire the blades of grass as they waltzed in what I imagined to be a large plant ball.

I was met with immediate disappointment upon my arrival to the bridge and river. Not because there were no Pokemon, but because all the Pokemon that were there immediately ran away. A few Deerling lapped at the flowing clear water but quickly galloped across the shallow flow and into the woods far to the other side as soon as I came. Zubat spread their purple wings and fluttered away in a hurry out from underneath the small wood slope. Even a Caterpie slowly inched away to some nearby logs for shelter; I decided not to go after that one. Nevertheless Horsea would like some time to play in the cool running waters. I let Horsea into the river who began chasing some Magikarp. I watched as they darted this way and that frantically attempting to escape their tormentor under the remarkably clear water. It poured its way over the surface of the polished rocks in a delicious looking way, making me want to drink some. I take my, (previously emptied of juice) bottle from my pack and fill it with the cold stream water. Taking a sip it shocks the mouth with its low temperature, especially in this summer heat.

I sat on a rock next to the river. Horsea gave up his playful chase of the Magikarp and was now nibbling greedily at some moss on the rocks. I was sad, and felt very defeated, I planned to move on soon but I wanted this time to sit and be upset. I was very excited for my first Pokemon battle, and especially excited to add a new Pokemon to my team, but now it appeared it would have to further wait. I drank another sip from my bottle and got up to recall Horsea, there were no more Pokemon here; it was time to move on. I just pulled out my pokeball and got Horsea's attention when I heard some scratching coming from the other side of the river. I looked up and noticed two little claws rummaging at the soft dirt on the river bank, attempting to dig a hole that got refilled repeatedly by the loose dirt. A large exo-skeletal head looked back at me from a very shallow hole with four-sided shining star eyes. A Pokemon, a Trapinch! This was the chance I was looking for; I was going to waste no time.

"Horsea, the other side of the river look!" Horsea excitedly spun on its tailed axis and stared are the Trapinch which stared back with curiousity. It tilted its shiny orange head to one side, then the other, examining me and Horsea. "Horsea start off with a water gun" I commanded. I took the time before I left New Pewter to learn all of Horsea's moves. Horsea sprung up from the river using its tail to propel it about three feet into the air, and launched a jet of water from its mouth. The first attack was a miss; it sprayed the edge of the hole Trapinch was digging turning the dry dirt to mud in an oozing metamorphosis. Trapinch was only lightly sprinkled from the splash and scurried up the river bank not liking the water attack very much. Horsea landed back in the water with a splosh and swam in circles in the sparkling liquid awaiting another order. "That's okay Horsea, try to compensate for the recoil" I reassured my friend. I wanted to see what the Trapinch would do, so I waited for it to make a move. It looked up to the sky and called its own name loudly in what appeared to me to be a battle cry. Suddenly the clouds around the sun were pushed away, lighting up just a circle around the bridge and close surrounding area. The intensity of the light returned unwelcomingly, blinding me slightly, due to the sudden shock of it, and pushing on my skin with a brutal heat that was worse than before the battle. A sunny day attack. This was no ordinary Trapinch, this ant pit Pokemon was cunning, recognizing that it was up against an opponent using moves it was at a disadvantage against, it used a move (probably self-taught) that would weaken them. This Trapinch was going to be an excellent team member with smarts like that. But if it was going to play technically then I would have to as well. "Horsea, use your toxic attack" I called to it, it didn't respond instantly this time, hesitating just under the surface, not wanting to subject itself to this heat. But finally it obeyed my command and sprung once more from the river sprinkling drops of water refreshingly on my legs and face. This time a stream of cold water was not what came from its long mouth, but a deep purple glob, bubbling as it was lobbed towards the little shelled ground type. Trapinch wasn't fast enough and Horsea took better aim this time with its single shot instead of continuous fire. It landed thickly on the top of Trapinch's head, oozing and bubbling down over its mouth and seeping into the millions of microscopic pores on its hard outer body. It ran quickly to the edge of the river braving the waters to wash off its head in the running cool liquid, but it was too late, Trapinch was successfully and badly poisoned.

"Now is our chance Horsea, surface real close and use muddy water" Horsea did as commanded. As Horsea took advantage of Trapinch washing itself to get close I took the time to run from my side up to the top of the small bridge, small in an abrupt arch over the thin river, with thick square cut railing all peeling a rusty red paint, for an aerial view of the battle field. Horsea weaved around some rocks and got just about a foot away from Trapinch's jaws and lurking like a Krookodile slowly raised just enough of its head for its mouth to be aimed down range and point blank at Trapinch. Horsea's muddy water attack was its water mixed with its ink, so it was more of an inky water then a muddy water, but its purpose served all the same, it slammed into Trapinch hard, spraying water everywhere as it connected and splashed off of its hard head, like a sink faucet turned on high hitting the rounded end of a spoon, doing lots of damage and lowering its accuracy by inking its eyes slightly. However Trapinch didn't need lots of accuracy for the next attack, Horsea was still surfaced near its mouth and it snapped its mouth shut. "Horsea dive now! " He tried but the water was too shallow, Trapinch's smarts were again noted from my vantage point atop the bridge, it had lured Horsea into striking range.

Its jaws slammed shut too quickly for Horsea to move out of the way, Horsea was caught in a ferocious crunch attack. Trapinch would be knocked out right now had it not been for the sunny day, and equally Horsea would be bleeding from its own head right now had it not been for its scales, but they wouldn't last forever, this was a tough first opponent. I didn't really know what to do. "Horsea, use water gun" I call to it, desperately trying to rectify the situation. It splashes on the water, but Horsea's head is turned away from Trapinch. Trapinch's response to the nearby attack was as level headed as it was intelligent; it simply raised Horsea out of the water, using the sun to its advantage depriving Horsea of the nurturing moisturizing touch. I was nearing the loss of my first battle. My ideas were exhausted and I was failing Horsea, if I didn't fix this or call it back soon it would suffer serious damage.

Just then Trapinch dug its claws into the dirt and mud and rocks exploded upwards from underneath Horsea bringing a torrent of water with it. Horsea was engulfed in the sediment from the river and pelted by the smoothed stones, carried upwards and away from the Trapinch's mouth, an earth power attack. I thought that it was over, and prepared my pokeball, but it appeared Trapinch had made its first mistake of the battle. I looked up and was shocked to see fight in Horsea's eyes as it fell back towards the water, I had already given up on it. Another muddy water was placed dead on the now complacent Trapinch. Horsea kept up the steady stream until it reached the water and swam away. Just then all at once Trapinch succumbed further to the poison and the clouds blew back over the sun, thankfully cooling down the area. Trapinch swayed and slumped to the ground, now soaked and sick and exhausted. I knew it was time, I took one of the balls off my right arm and gave it a good toss, it bounced off the Trapinch, popped open and I watched as it converted Trapinch's DNA information into laser format and closed it tightly in the mirrored interior.

It shook a few times, but I wasn't surprised when it made its ding to signify that the Pokemon had been successfully stored. It had been a rough battle, they both fought hard, but it was clear who was the winner. The expectedness of the outcome of the back-and-forth of the ball was not to mean that I wasn't happy. I was over joyed, in ecstasy, I danced around on the bridge twirling and shouting "Whoohoo!" and laughing uncontrollably. I had won my first battle, and I couldn't be happier. Filled with a sense of pride and accomplishment I ran down the other side of the bridge and picked up my ball, shrunk it down and locked it back in place. I wouldn't be able to use it until I found a place to heal it, which would likely not be until the next town, but I thought I saw some pecha trees in the forest further down the path, and if I was right I could treat it myself. I recalled Horsea and apologized silently to it, I would liked to have said it aloud, that I was sorry for giving up on it before it was done, for not trusting its abilities. But to my shame I was not very good at admitting my own mistakes and faults. I would need to patch up Horsea when I could as well, but for now it was beginning to become evening and I wanted to be through the woods before dark, so I turned towards the forest with a pep in my step and two full pokeballs on my arm.

The flat plains (now being fully down the hill) gave way to sparse fir trees; their droopy spiny leaves filled the air with the scent of pine and splashed the tan field and gray sky with rich plots of a deep blue-ish green. They stood tall and thin, unlike their stocky cousins bred to be household trees for Christmas. The scattering of trees soon began to enclose all ways of view, behind and in front, and to all sides, the once open and light plain was quickly fading from view. The canopy began to darken the area, leaving splotches of light along the wooded path. I was sure to find Pokemon hiding further in here, but with Horsea unable to battle without water and Trapinch still very weak from its loss (more happiness of victory surged through me at the thought of having defeated the cunning jawed Pokemon, quickly squelched by guilt for taking happiness in the damage to my new partner) there would be no more Pokemon battles here. Hopefully at least; without them to protect me there wouldn't be many Pokemon I could to fight off on my own.

The path was now completely shaded and covered in the brown dead needles from the trees, grass gave way to a maze of roots, the forest was definitely harder terrain then the field, but nothing I couldn't handle. I was glad to now be in the thickened woods, as I heard the light pitter patter of water from the sky land on the leaves and needles above. In here I was relatively protected and dry, only the odd droplet getting through, landing cold on the top of my spine, making me shiver as it ran under my shirt. The rain and forest covering cooled the air, I began to get tiny bumps poking out all over my legs. I reached into my pack and grabbed my dark green denim coat that came to just my waste sporting straps with snap buttons on the shoulders and chest, zipper pockets on the wrist and stomach of it. I put my Pokeball strap over top of it. Next I quickly and shyly changed from my shorts into my simple fitted leg blue jeans, snapping my head to the direction of every noise around me expecting someone to spot me in my vulnerable position, thankfully I was alone in the forest. I continued to walk on, visibility was severely limited, the clouds had turned an angry near black, and the canopy had gotten even less translucent.

However the woods getting even thicker was not all bad. The pecha trees I thought I saw were indeed here. And being early summer still sported a nice yield of the pale pink bell shaped fruits, notorious for curing poison. I palmed the fist sized fruit that was hanging low on the broad leafy tree, a lighter green then the firs, and pulled it off its placement on the branch, being careful not to squish it. I clicked to grow Trapinch's ball and materialized the little orange bug looking in poor shape. He didn't even stand, just laid there with his belly on the fallen leaves, clawed stubby feet sprawled out in four directions off his body, eyes squinted in pain and head on the ground. "Here Trapinch, eat this fruit, it will make you feel better I promise." I rubbed my hand across his smooth hard back soothingly talking as tenderly as I could. He pried open one eye to see me and my gift. His jaws opened slowly just wide enough to get half way up the fruit, and then slowly clamped down, the sharp jaws slicing through with such ease that there was not even enough force to cause juice to burst out of the soft meaty interior. I picked off the stem and leaf from the top and fed the rest to him, he immediately showed signs of improvement as he squeaked out his name thankfully to me, but it would still take some time for its full effects to cure him. I decided to pick three more and place them in a designated pouch in my bag, who knows when I might need them.

I recalled Trapinch back into its ball, the information of the curing agents in the berry now also recorded in the ball as a part of Trapinch, they would continue to work on Trapinch's ailments in the energy form (while they lasted in his system). The rest of the walk through the woods was achieved rather thoughtlessly, I was content with the way the day had gone, and I had no more things that I felt I had to do today, so I took some time during my walk to be leisurely and admire the wildlife that every so often reared its wary head from around the dark corners of the forest. A few Bellsprout walked shakily on root legs and slowly extended their permanently shocked faces around the trees to my left, examining me as I walked; the vibrant yellow colour of the plant was easily spotted in the dark and rather monochromatic forest. I managed a very lucky spot as a dragon type Pokemon Fraxure (blended well with the trees with its green armour like scales) worked hard at felling a tree with its sharp tusks, probably working on a home for a group of their kind nearby. I would like to check it out if I could, but there is a chance they could attack if I got to close or in their territory. This one however was shy and ran as soon as it noticed I was around, undoubtedly to return at a time it deemed safer. I was spooked as a Gastly moved nearly invisible in some trees off in the distance to the right, floating on wisps right through the bark. I hoped it would leave me alone instead of being mischievously scary as they were known to do.

I was quite pleased, kept dry from the rain and given the opportunity to examine all kinds of unique Pokemon, I thought I rather not leave these woods. I jokingly played with the thought of staying, and building a cabin and becoming a woodsman (woodswoman?) Or perhaps go live with the dragon types, start out as a little Axew until I become the strongest of the strong as a mighty Haxorous. I giggled to myself as I imagined me trying to be a dragon Pokemon. I was happy and I felt it would last, however that idea was put far out of my mind as fear set in. A Blaziken stood about 5 meters down the path, and about 6 feet tall. It stared at me with its piercing yellow and green eyes looking right into mine. I froze in my path; this was a weird place to find this type of Pokemon. Its large plumes of white feathers coming from its head were ruffled and thinner in some places from losing feathers. It snapped its beak shut threateningly twice and fisted its talons as fire ignited around its wrists licking at the red plumage that covered most of its avian body. The blaze Pokemon lunged at me digging its large foot claws into the dirt, propelling it at frightening speeds. Why was it attacking me? This didn't make any sense. How could it all go so wrong? I couldn't fight with either of my Pokemon right now and there was no way I could take on a Blaziken. All I could do was run. Not wanting to take the time to turn around I began running backwards but immediately dropped as I tripped on a root underfoot. Its blaze kick flew just over me as it missed, just barely, and only by luck. The fire roared around its dangerous and powerful feet, the heat lightly burning my face. If that had hit me I would be dead now. But now it was over me, it came down with an un-fisted hand, I rolled right in the nick of time witnessing in one part of my barrel role across the painfully hard roots Blaziken's claws dig deep into the firm ground; likely another kill shot. I knew I couldn't run forever, Blaziken's attacks were extremely fast, and I was lying down and running out of room to dodge. I did the next best thing, I kicked upwards, landing my foot hard in the tall Pokémon's mid-thigh. It turned un-injured and grabbed hold of my calf; it dug its nails in ripping through my jeans and causing me to bleed onto its claws. I scream slightly in pain. There was no more I could do, it held me still in place and sent its claws towards my face. The fate of my skull would soon be that of my torn and punctured leg. My eyes shut.


End file.
